INSIDEBEAT APRIL 8, 2010 • VOL. 28, NO. 10
THE WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE OF THE DAILY TARGUM
“Artsy Fartsy”
The Whitney Museum celebrates the 2010 Biennial
Column
April 8, 2010
rant
Inside Beat • Page 2
The Cost of Cutting Back
BY STACY DOUEK EDITOR
Throughout my time at Inside Beat, the one subject we have scarcely touched upon is the economy. However, looking at this week’s cover story on The Whitney Museum of American Art’s 2010 Biennial, I couldn’t help but notice the effect our country’s dismal economic state is having on the arts. Although the Biennial is still a coveted and anticipated event, its artist enrollment has declined by more than 20 artists. And the Whitney isn’t the only museum suffer-
ing. The Metropolitan Museum of Art reported that their endowment has decreased from $2.6 billion in 2008 to $2.1 billion in 2009, resulting in a 10 percent staff lay-off. With things like health care and Homeland Security seeming like the utmost priority in terms of budget appropriation, the arts sector, a major one that is unique in its own to our beloved countr y, is suffering through a conundrum of failing channels. Charitable endowments have steeply decreased, and the tax deduction for donations doesn’t seem to create an increased incentive for many this fiscal year. Audience
members have also stopped indulging on what is considered an extra amenity (which also makes raising prices a non-viable option). To top the whole thing off, government budget deficits, both on the local and state levels, have led to a major deflation in government patronage. But if we can learn one thing from our nation’s histor y, it is that the fear of spending can lead to a greater downfall than the actual spending itself. Therefore, I urge you not to let this sector flail and diminish, for it will lead to the demise of an outstanding part of our country’s heritage and the arts’ creative potential in the future.
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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... ASSISTANT EDITOR
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... TV EDITOR
ARIBA ALVI
... MUSIC EDITOR
JASON STIVES
... FASHION EDITOR
ROSANNA VOLIS
... THEATER EDITOR
NATALIA TAMZOKE
... ART EDITOR
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... COPY EDITOR
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... PHOTO EDITOR
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... FILM EDITOR
EMILY SCHACHTMAN
... BOOKS EDITOR
NIDHI SARAIYA THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS TO INSIDE BEAT : Amanda Amanullah Amy Rowe Becca Zandstein Emily Gabriele Neil P. Kypers Tracy Lorenzo Cover Photo “Smoke Knows” by Pae White, 2009 Courtesy of whitney.org Rutgers Student Center 126 College Avenue, Suite 431 New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Phone (732) 932-2013 Fax (732) 246-7299 Email beat@dailytargum.com Web www.inside-beat.com Advertising in Inside Beat Call (732) 932-7051 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Books • Film
Inside Beat • Page 3
COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
April 8, 2010
BY EMILY SCHACHTMAN
Clash of the Titans
FILM EDITOR
Clash of the Titans is a big dumb movie — and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There are a lot of great epics out there, loved not for their artistic integrity but for clunky lines, fleetingly cutting-edge graphics and sexy leads. At barely two hours, Titans is not quite the bloated, preening absurdity some films of its ilk turned out to be (Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, Alexander, 300). That may not be helping it. In short, there’s no highjacking of the film, no show-stopping preposterousness from the likes of Brad Pitt’s glutes, Angelina Jolie’s forehead vein or Gerard Butler’s manic howl, but there probably should have been. Those other epics were bad, but at least they were memorably so. Without any risks or surprises, Clash of the Titans feels forgettable at best. The films opens as Perseus (Sam Worthington, Avatar), an orphaned baby floating at sea, is found by a salt-of-theearth fisherman who then raises him. After his family is killed by Hades, Perseus rejects the gods. But it’s not so simple! Our hero turns out to be a demigod, whose daddy
Zeus (Liam Neeson, Taken) just happens to be king of the gods. Still, Perseus spurns his innate advantages and his father’s advice in order to embark on a mission to kill Hades (Ralph Fiennes, Voldemort from the Harry Potter series). While doing so, he encounters a slew of mythological beasties, including giant scorpions, the Djinn, furies, Stygian witches, the Pegasus, Calibos, Medusa, and finally, the Kraken. Perseus is joined on his mission by the grim soldier Draco (Mads Mikkelsen, Casino Royale), his guardian angel of sorts, Io (Gemma Arterton, The Quantum of Solace), and a handful of forgettable monster-food. There are some attempts from Clash of the Titans to at least reference the 1981 original. It uses Andromeda’s impending sacrifice to the Kraken, brought on by her mother’s arrogant boasts about her beauty, to drive the subplot; in one visual gag, it references and dismisses the absence of the much-loved mechanical Bubo and it keeps all the mostfamous critters around. But the new film cuts most of the original’s Olympus characters and their interactions, opting instead to use that time on a litany of slow motion-ridden fight scenes.
Megan McCafferty
STAFF WRITER
Inheriting Creativity: Kiran Desai at Rutgers
While great character actors like Pete Postlethwaite (The Omen) and Danny Huston (The Proposition) have small roles throughout, they’re barely onscreen long enough to improve the otherwise stolid performances of most of the leads. Unfortunately, Mikkelsen’s character is written as a humorless jerk and Worthington, Hollywood’s supposed new action star du jour, is like a black hole of charisma. He’s not just bland, his blandness exerts a gravitational pull of boring from which no scene can escape. It’s sad. Clash of the Titans is mercifully short, suitably CGIladen, and stars an undeniably attractive cast, but what usually works for these kinds of films is of dubious value here. The short running time barely allows for any levity or fun to be had with the characters, the monsters look good enough but are not particularly innovative or exciting, and the cast is mostly underused or should have been. That, perhaps, is the crux of the film’s problem: It takes itself too seriously to be like the silly, kitschy original, but not seriously enough to be the bombastically dramatic sword-and-sandals it should have been. What a shame.
Counting up with:
BY AMANDA AMANULLAH Author Kiran Desai, the youngest person to win the Man Booker Prize, enlightened the Rutgers community March 31 with a lively reading from her bestseller The Inheritance of Loss. Desai’s visit, which took place in the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus, was part of the “Writers at Rutgers Reading Series.” Many faculty and students who have studied her novels in various classes or read them for enjoyment seemed delighted to hear select sections of the famous work from the actual author. Kiran Desai, daughter of the award-winning Indian novelist Anita Desai, notes that she has a close relationship with her mother. When asked about her mother’s influence on her writing, Desai says that they share the same landscape and similar subject matter but create stories with distinctly different styles. As an Indian-born American, she claims that “It is wonderful to be an immigrant writer. ... [You are] condemned to look at yourself from the outside-in.” She adds that “everyone searches out loneliness” in different forms. This feeling of displacement and ability to put herself in another’s shoes leads to her unique creativity. Using her experiences, the young novelist takes the reader through several emblematic moments of first-generation Americans: the protagonist Biju reading letters sent from his father who lives in India, the Indian college students’ struggles while living in their apartments, and Biju and his immigrant roommates’ attempts to obtain fake visas. Although India and America are physically so distant from each other, her novel illuminates the parallels between experiences, the feeling of loss and blurring of identity. At the event, Rutgers alumni and aspiring writer Hardevi Shah asked, “Is it pretentious of us as multicultural writers to tie in bits and pieces of foreign words that are only all too familiar to us?” Kiran Desai is the first writer to simply answer this question by reminding us that writing is always a compromise. Although Desai mentions that her writing style is not influenced by a par ticular audience, her Hindi interjections provide phonetic elegance and a genuine aspect to her writing. She advocates usage of the languages in their original form, suggesting that this combination, whether reflecting the author’s mother tongue or the characters’ environmen, is ultimately beneficial. Desai exclusively revealed that her next book will focus more on the personal realm rather than political. Readers can expect to be swept away by a stor y that reflects on the new generation who attempt to be modern in an advancing and nonadvancing world. For anyone interested in literature that combines cultures, goes across borders and allows the reader to think and gain perspective on different levels of cultural, societal and personal being, Desai’s books are a great place to start.
Louis Leterrier | C
BY NIDHI SARAIYA BOOKS EDITOR COURTESY OF PRINCETON.LIB.NJ.US
New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty recently came to Rutgers to meet with fans and discuss her latest book in the popular Jessica Darling series, Perfect Fifths. This week, she talks with Inside Beat to answer some questions about Jessica, her writing and her future projects. IB: From glancing at the covers of the series, a new reader might think that your books are the typical young girl coming-of-age stories. What sets the Jessica Darling series apart? MM: For one thing, Jessica Darling is 16 years old in Sloppy Firsts and 26 years old in Perfect Fifths. It’s unusual for a series to follow the same characters as they grow and change over a decade in their lives. In 10 years, Jessica makes many, many mistakes — the kinds of errors in judgment that make readers crack up and cringe in recognition of themselves or others. Jessica can be too snarky, moody and critical at times, but those flaws are what make her interesting and relatable. Who wants to read about a character who does everything right the first time? I don’t. IB: I know you’ve said that Jessica is similar to you in some ways. Are the characters of Hope and Marcus inspired by people in your life? MM: My best friend moved away midway through my freshman year. Her departure was devastating to me, and was by far the defining experience of my high school years. My choices — from the classes I took to the boys I kissed — would have been very different if she had stayed. But my best friend was not Hope, nor did her move resemble the fictional circumstances that made Hope’s family leave New Jersey for Tennessee. In fact, her family only moved two hours away to
South Jersey. But when you’re 15 and don’t have a driver’s license, it might as well have been Tennessee. Marcus is a combination of several intoxicating and infuriating guys I knew in high school, plus a huge dose of my imagination. Marcus Flutie would not exist without the benefit of my vivid interior world. IB: Although I loved the ending, I’m sad to hear that Perfect Fifths is the last Jessica Darling novel. Will we ever to get to see more of Jessica’s world? MM: I have no plans to write any more about Jessica Darling or any of the other characters in the series. I’m happy with Perfect Fifths as the final say on the subject of Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie. IB: According to your Web site, your newest project is Bumped, a dystopian high school comedy. Can you tell me more about it? MM: It’s set 25 years in the future. Because of a global infertility virus, only teenagers can reproduce. So apocalyptic, and yet it’s not a dark book. There’s a lot of humor in it — I hope. It’s being described as “Heathers meets The Handmaid’s Tale.” IB: Any other new projects are on the horizon? MM: I just finished the first draft of Bumped, and I’m already thinking ahead to the sequel. IB: Have you ever thought about writing a mystery or sci-fi book? Something completely different? MM: Bumped has some sci-fi elements to it, but I wouldn’t call it a sci-fi novel. I’m open to writing in any genre, but I have to be inspired to do so. IB: In between writing, what books do you like to read? Any books that you would recommend to your fans?
MM: I’m always reading two or three books at a time. While I was writing Bumped, I was obsessed with reading nonfiction about teen pregnancy, surrogate motherhood, reproductive technology, adoption, organized religion — all subjects related to what’s going on in my novel. I researched this book for more than a year before I started writing because I wanted to create a world in which it would be totally believable for an affluent couple to pay two 16-year-olds to have sex and make them a baby. Ever ything that happens in the novel is rooted in reality. I’ve had a difficult time letting go of my own fiction long enough to enjoy someone else’s, though I did just finish Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. For lovers of young adult fiction, I can’t recommend highly enough. The last page made me cry. And I’m not a crier. IB: The (retro)blog feature on your Web site is such a fun read. It’s nice to be able to get to know you outside of your work. What inspired you to open up to fans like that? MM: I simply prefer opening up about my life 20 years ago than my life as it is today. IB: If the Jessica Darling novels were adapted for TV or movies, which actors would make up your dream cast? MM: This is by far the most popular topic of discussion on the fan sites for my books. I’ll defer to the producers and director on this one because no matter what I say, readers will think my answer is ALL WRONG.
IB: Team Edward or Team Jacob? MM: Is it too self-serving to say Team Marcus? OK, I know it is. But I like my fictional objects of lust to be more on the human side.
The Whitney Museum of American Art shines the spotlight onto yo artists every two years with its infamous Biennial installation. This tically titled 2010, runs from Feb 25 to May 30. It stands out from viewers on a rollercoaster through the evolving world of contempo PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHITNEY.ORG
why 2010 is important This year’s exhibition strays from the Whitney Biennial routine. As the Biennial’s 75th edition, it marks a sort of birthday for the museum’s world-renowned show. Along with the birthday status comes a defiant feeling of “I can do whatever I want.” In this case, the curators of 2010 decided that the “whatever I want” would be not having a theme, a striking difference from former biennials. What also makes 2010 different is its size. With only 55 artists, this year’s collection dwindles in size compared to the 81 artists of 2008 and 100 artists of 2006. Most notably, the majority of the participating artists are women. This is the first time in the Whitney’s history that women have dominated over men in the Biennial landscape. — Amanda Litchkowski
For 2010, Portland artist Jessica Jackson Hutchins used a couch from her childhood living room to symbolize the relationship between everyday objects and the people that interact with them. She covered the couch’s surface in newspaper articles about President Barack Obama and then placed warped ceramics, which are meant to represent the people who once sat upon it, on top of its cushions. The piece, titled “Couch for a Long Time,” acts as a fusion between public moments — the presidential election — and private moments that are shared on a family couch. The piece may sound like another one of those contemporary “art” sculptures that any average person could construct. Hutchins’ work, however, contains a profoundness that only she can produce. — Amanda Litchkowski
L A I N
the couch sculptor
the artist who adds her own blood
“Patron” by Marianne Vitale, 2009
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“Jodie Jill” by Storm Tharp, 2009
On the second floor of 2010, a powerful woman’s voice echoes through each room. The dominating voice of Marianne Vitale is projected onto a television screen screaming out orders to “patrons.” Unlike other videos in the Biennial, which have benches surrounding the screens, Vitale’s Patron only has one chair a few feet from her unyielding demands. Vitale commands her audience to perform outrageous tasks like standing in “gopher urine” and articulate impractical tongue twisters. Her philosophy of “Neutralism” resounds in the nearly 9-minute video, though is never clearly defined. Marianne mocks military authority and denies her audience any freedom; they find themselves bound and incapable of peeling their eyes from her bright red lips. For the entirety of the video, Vitale cannot be heard breathing a single time; she edited the video so inhalation and exhalation is not visible. — Becca Zandstein
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the military poet
Aurel Schmidt, a 27-year-old self-taught artist from British Columbia, did not go to art school and prefers colored pencils over fancy new-age techniques. She’s a pretty, young face in the art scene but she tackles her pieces with anything but delicate femininity. Her drawings are spotted with phalluses, condoms and rotting fruit, and she often adds texture with drops of her own blood, beer and cigarette burns. Her work in 2010, titled “Master of the Universe/Flexmaster 3000,” includes her usual gritty references but with a nod to its skewed beauty. It’s a 7-foot-tall drawing of a Minotaur built out of Budweisers, fly-ridden bananas, a Blackberry and a tub of Vaseline. Schmidt’s use of garbage to construct a mythically powerful man-creature draws questions of masculinity and beauty. — Amanda Litchkowski
“Couch for a Long Time” by Jessica Jackson Hutchins, 2009
ounger and lesser-known year’s collection, simplispast biennials and throws orary art.
the art behind wall-punching Of course, there is a signature piece of feminist art included in the Biennial. This year, that piece belongs to Kate Gilmore, a New York City artist characterized by her critique of social obstacles facing modern women. Titled “Standing Here,” Gilmore’s work is a combination sculpture-video creation that can be heard banging away in an endless loop. For “Standing Here,” Gilmore enclosed herself in a space about the size of a broom closet surrounded by ceiling-high sheetrock. Donning a red and white polka-dot dress and gray high-heels, Gilmore then punches and kicks through the walls in an attempt to climb out of her entrapment. As she rips white and yellow layers from the sheetrock, her message becomes obvious. With an eye on third wave feminism, Gilmore explores the frustration at constrictive feminine roles. — Amanda Litchkowski
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“Standing Here” by Kate Gilmore, 2010
the political commentary
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Nina Berman captivates viewers by documenting the lesser-known consequences of war in 2010. In the Marine Wedding collection, she photographed Ty Ziegel, a former Marine sergeant, after he is the victim of a suicide bomber’s attack in Iraq and suffered severe physical disfiguration. Nina Berman followed Ty and his high school sweetheart Renee Kline in the weeks leading up to their wedding and when they separated. The 18-picture series depicts more than just warfare and the alienation that occurs over time between a couple. Much can be extracted from the deep and empty eyes of Ty and Renee. The dark and eerie photographs cannot simply be skimmed over, as entranced viewers linger over each photograph for several minutes until slowly lugging themselves away from the emotional weight that accrues with Berman’s artwork. — Becca Zandstein
the fifth floor
2010 stops after the fourth floor of the Whitney and previous Biennial art comes to life on the fifth floor. The extension to this year’s Biennial, called Collecting Biennials, is a tribute to artists who have been featured in the biennials of the past 75 years. Collecting Biennials is meant to provide a finishing touch on 2010 with a flashback to some contemporar y classics, one-hit wonders and pieces by still unknown artists who haven’t gained much fame as Biennial participants. Since it opened a month earlier than 2010 and will remain on display until November, the fifth floor installation ser ves as the everlasting context of Whitney Biennial art. Most well-known of the featured artists include Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Barbara Kruger, Jackson Pollock and Cindy Sherman. After hours of navigating through obscure artists and wondering if they will ever become big hits, these household names reassure viewers that former Biennial artists can make it far into the art world. — Amanda Litchkowski
“The Fall” by Aurel Schmidt, 2010
“Girl Looking at Landscape” by Richard Diebenkorn, 1957
“Ty with a Gun” by Nina Berman, 2008
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Page 6 • Inside Beat
April 8, 2010
Fashion • Theater
Rutgers Welcomes Camden Playwright
A Behanding in Spokane
BY NIDHI SARAIYA
Martin McDonagh | C–
BOOKS EDITOR
BY NATALIA TAMZOKE THEATER EDITOR
Donovan T. Smalls is not your ordinary high school student. As President of the National Honor Society, President of D.A.S.H Performing Arts Club and an inspiring and budding playwright, he has managed to change the face of Camden Academy Charter High School. Now, Rutgers University makes way for this rising star next school year. IB: Growing up, did you show an interest in the arts? DS: I grew up writing poetry and drawing my own homemade cartoons...I was also always entertaining. My brother and sisters would make homemade videos of us messing around the house and putting on shows for the family. IB: How did you get interested in playwriting? DS: The drive, excitement, lights, big stages, smiles and happiness. The mysterious passion of the art and…elements of acting are what seem to [draw me] in. IB: Did any of your teachers inspire your writing? DS: My ninth-grade teacher and the assistant for the plays and my middle-school science and performing arts teacher inspired me to pursue writing. They helped to shape and mold me into the special person I am today. IB: Recently, your play GOSSIP: The Rumor is Out! was per formed at Camden Academy Charter High School. What’s it about? DS: In this [stor y] of High School drama and gossip destruction, two best friends (Ar ycca and Rena) enter Glazing Wood Academy with a vision of everlasting friendship and a bond that will stand the test of time. But when they both fall head over
COURTESY OF DONOVAN SMALLS
heels for the new boy, emotions get the best of them and their relationship begins to crumble rapidly. IB: What was it like working on the show? DS: It was phenomenal! My school gave me my ver y own class as a senior called Speaking Drama…and we, [along with] Donovan’s Dance crew all came together and brought the supplies [and costumes] for the play. Because we wanted this to be an all- student [production] without teacher’s involvement, we [became] our own leaders and work[ed] together as a team to put on a massive…production. IB: You were recently accepted to Rutgers University. Congratulations! Are you excited? DS: I am more than excited to be accepted to Rutgers, I am ecstatic! I’ve been to Rutgers…in 2008 for the Rutgers Summer Acting Conservatory Program, and I loved it. I made connections with everyone I met and didn’t want to leave. IB: You’re aiming to get a Theater Arts B.A. What do you hope to gain from the major? DS: I am hoping to gain the knowledge of a true inspiring actor, producer, director and playwright. I want to be taught ever ything there is to know about the enter tainment industr y.
For a man who’s made his name by depicting Irish characters, Martin McDonagh moves out of his comfort zone with his latest American-based play, A Behanding in Spokane. Unfortunately, while we can applaud the risk, Behanding is nothing short of a disappointment. Actor and veteran stage performer Christopher Walken (Catch Me if you Can, Hairspray) stars as the one-handed Carmichael. After losing his hand as a young boy in Spokane, Wash., Carmichael has searched relentlessly for his missing limb. This leads him to a seedy motel and to the young couple Marilyn and Toby (played by Zoe Kazan and Anthony Mackie). Marilyn and Toby promise Carmichael the whereabouts of his hand, but when they fail to deliver, it’s up to Mervyn the receptionist (Sam Rockwell) to save the day. Each character in the play is perfectly casted. Walken as the eccentric old guy and Rockwell, in his socially inept neuroticism, complement each other well by offering different nuances of nutty behavior. Kazan and Mackie share a great rapport as well, delivering their domestic squabbles with just the right amount of exasperation and humor. The meeting of the four, who all arrive in Carmichael’s hotel room with cross purposes, makes for some great comedy. The sequestered hotel room set makes it even clearer that the audience is stuck in a room full of crazies. From the flashing neon sign outside the window to chest at the foot of the bed, all the parts of a generic hotel room are used to great effect.
But aside from the cast and staging, the dialogue and plot leave little for the actors — or audience — to work with. No matter how much of a presence Walken brings to the stage, he cannot hide the utter one-dimensionality of his character and his struggle. Even a great comedy should bring more than just laughs to the table. There are no pop culture references, no satirical messages, no mind-warping dark jokes — no anything. The greatest offense of the script lies in its complete lack of theatricality. Nothing about the play even implies the need for a live performance. Granted, A Behanding in Spokane is supposed to be a deadpan comedy, but other than a few requisite jokes, there are very few laugh-out-loud moments. Martin McDonagh, who has Tony Awards galore and even an Oscar to his name, has proven his talent time and again. It won’t be long until McDonagh writes something equally brilliant to make us forget this slight blemish on his immaculate track record.
COURTESY OF A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE
Black is the New Black BY ROSANNA VOLIS FASHION EDITOR
Goth kids rejoice! Black is back, but was it ever gone? Rarely is there a color that stands the test of time, a color that from season to season never fails to be flattering and looks good on just about everyone. From funerals to formal wear and everything in between, black is the savior of any outfit and worshipped by all fashion groups alike. If there is anything the color deserves, a retrospective of its cultural significance is high on the list. Antwerp, Belgium’s Mode Museum is now hosting an exhibition surrounding the use of black in fashion and costume design entitled BLACK. Masters of Black in Fashion & Costume. An influential city, Antwerp’s claim to fame was dyeing fabrics black in the 16th and 17th centuries. Due to the complexity of achieving
black up until the 19th century, the sumptuous color was only available to the wealthy until improved manufacturing led to Chanel’s infamous Little Black Dress; the rest is history. The exhibition will cover materials, production methods and textures, and it will also feature couture from the fashion houses of Ann Demeulemeester, Olivier Theyskens and Dirk Van Saene. Of course, they have not forgetten Givenchy, Chanel and newcomer Gareth Pugh. There is no doubt about it — black oozes sex appeal. Whether you envision a high-heeled Parisian artiste smoking a cigarette dressed in all black, or Joan Jett rocking out in black leather, black is sexy. Black has achieved an almost god-like status for hipsters everywhere due to the recent vampire craze. So if you haven’t already, do your best Balmain Fall 2009 and strut your stuff, black Betty.
Fun-sized Fashionistas
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When I was a kid, fashion involved whatever blindingly bright neon ’90s separates my mom dreamed up. Nowadays, appearance is everything, and celebrities are dressing their kids in clothes even adults would covet — if they could afford them. Today’s famous moms are paying top-dollar for their kids’ attire, and these pint-sized fashionistas have become style icons in their own right. Check out our picks for the best-dressed celebrity offspring: 1. Zahara and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt 2. Kingston Rossdale 3. Zuma Rossdale
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4. Suri Cruise 5. Violet Affleck 6. Jaden and Willow Smith
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CLOCKWISE: PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMDB.COM, BABBLE.COM, DAILYRADAR.COM, JUSTJARED.COM, INSTYLE.COM, SHOWHYPE.COM, JUSTJARED.COM
7. Brooklyn Beckham and Romeo Beckham — Rosanna Volis
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Music
April 8, 2010
Inside Beat • Page 7
Frontman Shines at Starland
Man With a Guitar
BY JASON STIVES MUSIC EDITOR
the hum of two synthesizers and the backdrop of three maroon lights. Pumping out renditions of “Ludlow St.” and “River of Breaklights” from his debut solo effort Phrazes of the Young, Casablancas commanded attention from his followers. By the time his band kicked into stellar renditions of The Strokes’ “Hard to Explain” and “I’ll Try Anything Once” the crowd was eating up Casablancas’ aura of mystery. Beyond the figure of Casablancas himself, much attention went to the force of nature behind him: his backing band. The six- piece band was loud, abrasive and incredibly attuned to the needs of the audience, helping Julian’s distinct voice transform tracks like “Glass” and “4 Chords of the Apocalypse.” Two hours later, Julian gave his final bow, giving back the breath air that he had stolen from the Starland crowd earlier on. Needless to say the crowd was still pretty breathless.
The World We Know | B
With a melodic voice and lifeaffirming songs, singer/songwriter Steve Moakler looks to be the new John Mayer of the upcoming decade COURTESY OF LAST.FM
BY TRACY LORENZO STAFF WRITER
John Mayer and his followers should beware: There’s a new guitar-playing virtuoso poised to take over those roadtrip playlists. His name is Steve Moakler, an unsigned 21-year old singer/songwriter from Belmont University. A New Jersey native raised in Philadelphia, this East Coast guitarist has been writing songs about the simplicities that create meaning in the vast scheme of life and love for a few years now. In high school, he started playing for a band called My Evergreen Avenue and later emerged as a solo artist, performing on various stages around the Pittsburgh area. His first EP, The Weight of Words, was released in 2007 to much local fanfare. With such dynamic tracks as “Cleveland” and “Stay Sound,” there is a great deal of passion in Moakler’s singing.
His first full-length album, All the Faint Lights, received great exposure in 2009 thanks to shows like ABC’s Private Practice and MTV’s The Real World, which featured the album’s tracks. Inspired by artists such as the Dave Matthews Band, Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay, Moakler sings about deep meanings, insightful perspectives and cherished memories. He has a voice that can turn a regular day into a great day and guitar skills that can turn words into gold. This talent is currently being showcased in random venues throughout the nation on the “Three Amigos Tour” with fellow guitarists Andrew Ripp and Ben Rector. This month, Moakler will be playing acoustic sets at various East Coast universities, with a recent stop at Rutgers-Camden. With his sincere lyrics, feel-good melodies and calming voice, Steve Moakler is someone worth checking out.
MUST DOWNLOADS “All The Faint Lights” • “Hesitate” • “Slow Mo” • “Cleveland”
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim Here Lies Love | C
BY AMY ROWE STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF MTV.COM
BY EMILY GABRIELE STAFF WRITER
After a long gestating period, Ace Enders finally released another album from his much-heralded side project, I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business. Though it has been some six years since Enders has released an album under this umbrella, he has been busy with his own solo effort. However, even after a lengthy absence, the new album, The World We Know, is not exactly unforgettable. The album is a great display of Enders’ phenomenal songwriting talents both musically and lyrically, but it is not something that is distinctly catchy and memorable. It seems like one extended song despite its 11 track listing, and though this may be Enders’ intent, the downfall is that there aren’t many stand-out tracks. Two of the album’s best tracks, “Stop Smoking Because It’s Bad for You” and “Old Man,” have soothing melodies and express the grandiosity of Enders’ harmonic talents and ability to mesh together various instruments perfectly. Despite the album’s lack of immediate enchantment, a few good listens will lead to a real appreciation. Overall, The World We Know may not be what fans were expecting, but it is undoubtedly an interesting album, and leaves Enders room to impress his fans the next time around.
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim are a strange pairing with an even stranger concept album. Here Lies Love is a 22-track epic full of synthesizers and Latin pop influence. It details the life of former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos and her relationship with a childhood servant. Byrne only sings on two of the tracks; various female vocalists, such as Cyndi Lauper and Santigold, sing the majority of the album. The album’s concept is first noticeable in “Every Drop of Rain,” which features the dynamic voices of Candie Payne and St. Vincent singing of the perils of poverty (“When you’re poor it’s like you’re naked/ and every drop of rain you feel”). The song deals with Marco’s childhood servant’s role in taking care of her amid samba-like piano acCOURTESY OF MTV.COM companiment and rhythmic percussion. While the flowing salsa-esque music might inspire a dance or two, the omnipresent, shoddy synthesizers are a big turn off. The most cringe-worthy among the synth-driven tracks is “Eleven Days” where the synthesizers seem to engage in a flashy, open dialogue with Cyndi Lauper’s vocals. However, there is a break from all of the cheesiness, and it comes with “Never So Big.” This track, with Sia’s velvety vocals, simplistic ukulele and island beats makes for the catchiest song on the album. Unfortunately, the synthesizers return soon after as they punctuate the entirety of “Please Don’t,” a funky track that features Santigold ragging on various U.S. presidents and other leaders. Here Lies Love’s bizarre concept and clichéd production make the album a bit aggravating. That said, it does contain real moments of beauty thanks to the wide spectrum of female artists who lend their vocals to create an attractive listen. COURTESY OF WWW.COZOP.COM
I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business
In the film Almost Famous, Jason Lee’s character of Jeff Bebe, lead singer of the fictitious band Stillwater, fantasizes about his duty to get people off and to find the one unaffected person to do the same to. Julian Casablancas, singer and all around ring leader of indie rock heroes The Strokes, knows just how to do that. In front of a packed crowd of New York stragglers and indie retro fellow indie retro wannabes, a solo Casablancas and his new band of merr y men pulsed and pivoted to their own beat, leading the charge of a 70minute set at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville. Before Julian Casablancas took the stage, much of the evening’s buildup was brought on by L.A.- based rock outfit The Funeral Party, whose high energy stage show set a powerful tone for what was to come. After almost an hour’s wait, Julian Casablancas took the stage around 9:30 p.m. to a fur y of buzzing audience members,
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April 8, 2010
Mass Effect 2 Microsoft | A-
NEIL P. KYPERS STAFF WRITER
Anyone with access to a PC or Xbox 360 should go and experience the world of Mass Effect 2, the second installment of Microsoft’s Mass Effect series. The game, visually stunning, begins where the first one left off but quickly puts you into a stand-alone story line where anyone can jump right into the game. The game takes you on a wild, non-linear, first person shooter ride across a universe plagued by an alien threat called the Reapers. The Reapers are outsourcing work to another alien race call Collectors who gather humans for an unknown end. Your immediate mission: stop the Collectors. However, there are numerous galaxies and planets you can explore along with side quests that lead to many hours of gaming. Anyone who has been involved with gaming recently can attest to the growing size of available areas to explore, as gamers demand larger and larger maps. While Mass Effect allows you to land on all planets and explore them by battling monsters, discovering settlements and placing locater beacons on mineral deposits, Mass Effect 2 has simplified this type of game play. Instead of having full access to all the planets, which makes complete exploration of the universe a game in and of itself, they allow you to scan the planets from your ship and send down probes to mark areas of dense mineral deposits. The resources are necessary to upgrade your ship, weapons and characters. While some planets allow you the option to land on them and explore in a three dimensional sidescrolling fashion, the mobile land
vehicle is completely removed from the game. This aids in exploration because in the previous game people would have to spend countless minutes driving across landscapes to find practically meaningless rewards. Now, complete exploration of the galaxy means you have scanned all the planets in each system at least once which seems much more realistic to space exploration. Beyond the scope and size of the game the weapons and abilities have changed as well. Many weapons seem to be placed strategically throughout the main story line so anyone who wants to play through the side missions early will be stuck with mediocre weapons. Instead of having to equip different abilities to weapons, they have become powers of the individual characters. No longer do you need to customize your weapons but, rather, you use a power on your weapons giving them an upgrade against enemies. However, the armor is not as diverse. Finding armor upgrades is much more difficult and you have complete control over the color and design of the armor. It is less involved and seems to be a feature most people will use once or twice throughout the game. Although I played it on PC and not a system, it was still clear that the game is visually dazzling, easy to play and fun, leaving you in anticipation for the next installment. The weakest feature of the game is the ease at which battles can be fought. If you are looking for a difficult game, increase the difficulty right off the bat. Experienced gamers will find that the game worked out many issues from the first Mass Effect, which slowed down game play and made fighting difficult. If I could recommend a game that all people should play, aside from Modern Warfare 2, it is Mass Effect 2.